


1001 Lifetimes by Your Side

by PaperBagGirl



Category: Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-29
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-04-29 14:53:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14475090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaperBagGirl/pseuds/PaperBagGirl
Summary: A collection of IkeSoren short stories and drabbles.





	1. Caught with Crumbs on Your Cheeks

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for not having an update for To Satiate but I’m in China right now which means google is blocked for me, and I write everything on google drive so yeah... 
> 
> So here, have lots of unedited word vomit due to my extreme boredom! Seriously, I have very little else to do =(
> 
> Thanks again to Measured for catching me online and sending me these prompts xD I’ll do what I can while I’m away.

As a young parent, Elena had a multitude of responsibilities to fulfill. Every day she had to make sure the children were properly dressed, well fed, tucked into bed at a reasonable hour, and kept out of mischief. It was troublesome at times, but she had stepped into the role of motherhood with ease upon the arrival of two children, one shortly after the other.

As her children grew out of toddlers and sleepless nights eluded her, she had expected her job to get easier, not harder with time.

Of all the things, it was keeping her 9 year-old son out of the cookie jar that proved to be most difficult.

Cookies were reserved for guests, special occasions, and in event of exceedingly good behavior - that was the rule in the house. While her daughter, Mist, would sometimes whine about the lack of sweets, her son, Ike, was much steadier.

Ike wasn’t like other boys his age. While at 9 years old, he was filled with the same childish curiosity, he lacked the mischievousness that often plagued other children. No, there was never any roughhousing, hair-pulling, or skirt-lifting with Ike. While Elena was thankful for this, it often made her worry.

While Ike got along with the other children just fine, Elena knew that it was mainly on a surface level. Other boys would look up to Ike’s athleticism and natural charisma, but feel ostracized by her son’s strong sense of justice. As a result, for the first few years of his childhood Ike had many acquaintances but no real friends.

Elena supposed that’s where everything began.

One afternoon, Ike had brought home a friend. Not a group of boys like the usual, but a single child. The child - Soren - was small, raven-haired, and red-eyed. His gaze was cautious as he regarded her, but warm as he turned to Ike. From a single glance, Elena could tell that this was a child with a story to tell.

Regardless, she left the children to their own devices. That child would open up in due time if it was meant to be. These relationships didn’t require adult supervision, after all.

An hour later, when she went upstairs to deliver snacks and cookies, she heard her son’s laughter through the door. At first Elena was surprised. She had never heard her son laugh like that around anyone before. Elena smiled. It looked like her son had finally found a true friend.

After the two were done playing, Soren was picked up my a tall and imposing woman. Raven-haired and red-eyed, she looked around the house distastefully, like a queen overlooking a peasant farm. While Elena didn’t care for about her haughty bearing, the concern swimming in her eyes as she asked for her son won her over. They were both mothers at the end of the day; there was no point in making things difficult for each other.

The two boys parted reluctantly, Soren glancing up behind him as he clutched the cookies Elena had packed for him, and Ike waving through the kitchen window, balanced precariously on a tall stool until the so figures disappeared into the distance.

From that day on, Ike and Soren became inseparable.

And thus began Elena’s troubles.

At first, it was a simple matter of keeping the cookies out of reach on the highest shelf. Neither Ike nor Mist were tall enough to reach that height without aid, and neither were stealthy enough to push a chair into position without alerting her of the matter.

For a long time, the cookies remained safely in their jar, lowering Elena’s guard.

However, when her husband’s friend Titania stopped by for a visit the following weekend, Elena had opened the cookie jar only to find it empty.

That evening she interrogated her husband about his snacking habits only to come up short. With that, Elena’s curiosity was piqued. If it really had been one of her children, she wanted to know how they had done it.

So that weekend, she had baked a new batch of cookies and placed the cookie jar in the same place, on the highest shelf in the pantry. It would appear as if she were none the wiser, but secretly, she planned on keeping a close eye on the location in search of clues.

However the week of subtle surveillance yielded no results, and what’s more, Elena realized that the cookies in the jar were steadily decreasing. The thieves were getting smarter.

Knowing that she couldn’t guard the pantry 24/7, Elena opted for the next best thing: changing the location of the jar.

She chose to place the jar even higher, on top of the cupboard itself. Elena herself had to pull up a stool to reach that height. It should have been impossible for the children to get to.

Or so she thought.

A couple of days later she found that the amount of cookies in the jar had decreased yet again.

Well, if height wouldn’t work, there were always other methods.

First, Elena chose camouflage. She hid the jar in the back of a cupboard filled with similar ceramics. It was found within 3 days.

Then, she chose misdirection. She moved the cookies into a different jar while leaving the original in the same place as before. It was found within 2 days.

Next, she chose something more unconventional. She hid the cookie jar in a dark and dry corner of the living room and placed a decoy in the kitchen. It was found within 4 days.

This repeated several times until Elena simply installed a lock on the pantry, with her having the only key. After that, the amount of cookies remained at a constant number all month. Seeing this, Elena relaxed. No child could get past a locked door, after all. With that, she let the matter drop and moved on with other things (like how to deal with the boy who kept teasing Mist at school.)

Two months later, Elena returned home from work early one afternoon only to see a scraggly-haired black-garbed man picking the pantry lock through the kitchen window. Elena’s breath caught in her throat. Was it a robber? A thief? Heavens, Ike should be home from school by now!

Before Elena could even think, her body moved on its own. The only thought on her mind was to get to her children before the robber could. In a flurry she arrived at the kitchen only to stop in her tracks.

On the kitchen floor sat Ike and Soren, the jar of cookies placed between them, crumbs dusting their hands and cheeks as they grinned mischievously. Elena could only stare at the scene, dumbfounded.

“You were right, Soren. This was worth saving up a month for.” Ike said with his mouth full. “How’d you know a guy like that anyway?”

“Who, Volke?” Soren said, brushing the fine crumbs off his fingers. “He’s the locksmith who lives next door to us. Everyone in the neighborhood knows he’d do a job for anyone as long as they’ve got money. Getting him to pick the pantry lock was just a matter of saving up.”

Ike smiled. “Definitely worth it. Mom’s cookies are the best.”

Elena nearly fell to her knees, torn between rage and relief. While she as glad that a Ike was fine, she couldn’t believe that he would resort to such methods for mere cookies. Was it Soren’s influence? Elena felt her mouth harden into a line.

Just as she was about to announce her presence and give the two of them the scolding of a lifetime, she saw Ike reach out and brush some crumbs off Soren’s cheek, his eyes sparkling with admiration. She watched as Soren flush in kind, his expression three quarters vulnerability and a quarter wonder. The tenderness of the moment gave her pause. She recognized the budding emotions flashing across their features.

Well, she was still going to scold them... but she supposed she no longer had it in her to force them apart.

*****

After giving the kids a stern lecture, Elena called Soren’s mother over for a serious discussion.

But much to her dismay, Almedha simply smiled proudly and said “You should’ve seen him call the IRS after I divorced his father. It destroyed his entire corporation.”

Elena looked over at the raven-haired boy standing beside her son. Smiling helplessly, she supposed she should be glad her future son-in-law was going to be a capable one.


	2. Journalistic Integrity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soren works as a writer for Branded Magazine, but when his co-worker calls in sick, he finds himself filling in for her. The problem is, she writes for a romantic advice column.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you squint this could be counted as a sequel to ch 1 but I intended this to be a different universe.
> 
> Based on the OTP advice column prompt floating around.
> 
> Warnings: dead herrings everywhere (it’s pretty obvious since this fic series is tagged IkeSoren for a reason >u>)

There were countless times in Soren’s life in which he wished he could set fire to something simply by staring at it hatefully enough. This was just another one of those times.

Soren looked up from the assignment details and met his boss’s wry smile. Stefan raised his hands in surrender. “Hey, it’s not my fault Micaiah got sick so suddenly.” He explained, in that easygoing manner that drove Soren mad. (Honestly, if he could set his boss on fire, he would.) “We need someone to cover her advice column in her absence, and turns out, you’re the only one with time to spare.”

“Her column deals with romantic advice.” Soren said. “Unless your goal is to make teenage girls cry, I’m hardly the right person for the job.”

“I don’t know about that.” Stefan said. “So how are things with you and your not boyfriend?”

Soren sent a glare in his direction.

Stefan chuckled. “I’ll take that as no progress, as usual.”

“Do you have a point?”

“Look, I’m just saying you’re not the worst choice out there when it comes to a romantic advice column.” Stefan shrugged. “The question’s already been picked out from a pool of e-mail submissions. The editors will pick out any scathing comments or remarks so you can just use this opportunity to earn some more money.”

“I want a raise.”

“Not happening,” Stefan shot down. “You’ll get the same rates as Micaiah, but if you do a good job I might throw in a bonus for effort.”

“And what would that entail?” Soren asked.

“No insulting the asker, no undue cynicism towards the world, and no snarkiness in general.”

Soren’s eyes narrowed. He needed the money and copying Micaiah’s writing style wasn’t too difficult, but nothing changed the fact that he truly was unsuited for a romantic advice column. Giving good advice required having life experiences to draw upon, and Soren was sorely lacking in that regard.

While Soren looked down on advice columns in general, he still had some journalistic integrity. People who sent in advice did so because they trusted the judgement of the person behind the computer screen. Compared to Micaiah who had a wealth of experiences and human interaction to draw upon, Soren had a total of one friend.

And he was currently trying and failing to court said one friend.

Needless to say, Soren’s reservations weren’t unfounded.

“By the way, isn’t your not boyfriend’s birthday coming up?” Stefan asked, his lips curling into a knowing smile. “I hear his friend Ranulf has something real special planned this year.”

“Fine.” Soren acquiesced, glaring at his boss as he snatched away the rest of the assignment package. Even though Soren knew he was getting played, he had no other choice. Stefan was paradoxically social and antisocial at the same time, but his ability to obtain accurate gossip was well-known within their circles. Though, even if Stefan was lying, Soren wouldn’t take the chance; he couldn’t let himself get upstaged by Ranulf of all people.

As Soren headed back to his desk, he flipped through the package to the original e-mail sent to Micaiah’s pen name. The actual email published in the online magazine was polished by editors: names were replaced with obvious pseudonyms, spelling and grammar mistakes were corrected, and irrelevant tangents were removed. It probably would have been easier for Soren to read the cleaned-up version of the email, but Micaiah had always said that reading through the original gave you the clearest impression of the askee’s intentions. While Soren still found advice-giving troublesome, his integrity (which had been drilled into him by his so-called not boyfriend) forced him to take the task seriously.

*****

To: maidenofthedawn@brandedmagazine.com  
From: mercenaryboy12@hotmail.com  
Re: Advice  
Hey, a friend told me about your column and I thought your advice was really good so I decided to send something in. The long and short of it is that I’ve recently realized my feelings for my best friend but I don’t know what to do about it.

I was told I should give details for your advice to be more accurate so here goes. For a really long time this whole love thing never crossed my mind. I was too busy with sports and then it was all about how to pick up the pieces after my father died.

This person helped me through all that and now that I think about it, he’s always be been there for me whenever I needed someone the most. I think it’s only natural I started liking him.

I’m pretty sure I’m supposed to confess now that I’ve figured things out but I figured I’d ask you first. How do you think I should do it? And how do I take it if he says no?

Thanks.

*****

Soren’s breath caught in his throat when he saw the email address. He had recognized it — no, he’d recognize it anywhere.

It was the email he made with Ike, after all.

They were 12 years old and Ike had been roped into an online game by some of their classmates. Ike was always more of an outdoors person, preferring to play games in person but even he had been interested in the new fad that stormed their school. To register for the game, they needed a proper email address — which Ike didn’t have at the time. Therefore, he enlisted the help of Soren, like he always did when he had trouble with something.

He taught Ike the simple process of creating an email address but much to his dismay Ike wasn’t interested in taking IssacGreil@hotmail.com. No, Ike was like most other kids in that regard, he wanted a cool username that expressed himself at the time. He and Ike had spent the rest of the day brainstorming until they settled on mercenaryboy12. Ike wanted to play as a mercenary and he was 12 years old at the time, so it seemed like the most logical choice. At least that’s what Soren pushed for. Ike had flitted with herooftheblueflames but upon entering in the email, the name was apparently taken.

Ike had only played that game for a month and eventually moved onto actually use IssacGreil@hotmail.com, but Soren had always remembered that afternoon’s brainstorming session, as inconsequential as it was.

Then again, he remembered most everything to do with Ike. This was simply no exception.

Once Soren got over his initial shock, he reread the email over and over again as grim understanding set into his features. Ike had developed feelings for someone.

If it hadn’t been clear enough from the content, his writing clearly cemented the case. Apart from an atrocious misuse of commas, Ike’s unedited email was ridiculously coherent — there were minimal spelling and grammar mistakes and it was clear that he had checked over each word carefully. Soren had never seen him put so much thought into a piece of writing since his final English essay in their senior year. If Soren closed his eyes he could almost see Ike hunched over his computer, nervously running his fingers through his hair.

And there was a 50% chance it was him.

There were only two real contenders for the position of Ike’s best friend: him and Ranulf. While Soren had known Ike longer, after Soren went to university and Ike went to a trade school, he had grown closer to another person. Ranulf was cheerful, boisterous, and surprisingly astute. In many ways, he was everything Soren wasn’t.

While Soren had been busy studying, the person who had been by Ike’s side through those 4 years had been Ranulf. While Soren had always managed to find room in his schedule for time spent with Ike, the gaps remained. He could no longer be by Ike’s side all the time.

He couldn’t even make it to Ike’s father’s funeral because of his exams.

He had offered to skip them but Ike told him that his education was more important, and that he would be fine without Soren for one day. At the time, Soren had believed him.

Ike didn’t lie. Especially not to Soren.

He had always believed that.

But that day, he had rushed back from his exam to find Ike sitting on the porch steps with his head buried in his hands, his shoulders shaking and Ranulf’s comforting hand on his shoulder. At that time, Soren knew that he had made a grave mistake.

In truth, he had grown overconfident. He held pride in the fact that he was the closest person to Ike: the one who helped him in his studies, who drove away all his hapless suitors, and stood by him in everything.

But ever since the evening he saw that scene on the porch steps, that confidence came crashing down.

Soren sat back in his seat, lost in thought. After Soren had graduated, he had moved in with Ike under the excuse that living together would be less of a burden on their expenses. It was a lie, of course. Soren simply wanted to bridge the gap that had formed between them before it widened even further. But even though he saw Ike back home every day, there was rarely a moment Ranulf wasn’t there either. Ranulf stopped by for visits often enough for him to joke that their place was his second home. It seemed to amuse Ike but it peeved Soren like no tomorrow.

It really was a 50% chance.

And Soren didn’t like those odds at all.

As he stared down at the assignment details, the unease grew. He understood why Ike’s ask had been chosen from amongst all the rest. The situation of falling for your best friend is a fairly standard one, but Ike hadn’t asked about whether or not he should confess, he asked about how to go about it.

Soren nearly chuckled. Really, that was just like Ike. When he set his mind on something, the only uncertainty was how he would go about it. Normally Soren would be there to help him in planning out the details, but this time...

A thought arose in Soren’s mind. A horrible thought. An absolute abuse of his position.

What if he gave bad advice on purpose?

If he gave Ike wrong information on the timing or gave him all the wrong social cues, would it decrease the chances that Ranulf would say yes?

But immediately after he thought that, revulsion threatened to overwhelm him. Just the thought of betraying Ike hurt him physically. Of course, Soren knew why he was reacting like this. In his heart he knew that the 50% was just a comforting lie.

Lately the two had been spending more and more time alone, sometimes cutting off conversation once Soren entered the room. He had pretended not to mind but in truth it had been eating up at him inside.

Soren looked over the email once more. He could give up the assignment — Stefan would definitely understand given the situation. But a part of Soren didn’t want to. The email had reminded him of all the times Ike had asked him for advice in their youth. All the times he wasn’t sure he was good enough, all the times he wasn’t sure he didn’t know how to go forward... Soren had taken pride in being the person who was there for him.

Maybe he should be glad he could be there for Ike one more time before the end.

Laying down his heavy heart, Soren began typing...

****

“You’re done already?” Stefan raised an eyebrow as he looked up from his desk. “I thought romantic advice wasn’t your thing.”

“It isn’t.” Soren said simply, shrugging on his coat.

“What, no cutting words or sarcastic retorts?” Stefan said, putting down his papers. “Are you alright, Soren?”

“...I’ll be fine.” Soren said, avoiding Stefan’s gaze. Before his boss could say any more, he turned his back to leave. “I’ll see you next week.”

Soren stepped outside the office building and into the busy streets. Normally Soren stayed back late to finish his articles whenever he had to stop by the office, but he wasn’t in the mood to do any more work today. Instead, he wandered around aimlessly until dusk fell and the shops lit up one by one, like stars on a dark night.

Soren stood outside, staring at the display of a motorcycle store in a daze. Recently, Ike’s old bicycle was breaking down and he had been considering other options for getting to work. While Ike was hardly the leather-wearing, motorcycle-riding type, he admitted had thought they were cool, once, when he was 14. Ike probably didn’t remember that anymore, but Soren always had. Soren remembered everything when it came to Ike.

He had wanted to save up some money and buy one in time for Ike’s birthday, but it all seemed so pointless now.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, bringing him out of his daze. It was Ike.

That was when Soren noticed the time. It was nearly 7 PM; on any other day, he would’ve been home hours earlier.

But Soren didn’t pick up the phone.

He didn’t want to go home to Ike today. He didn’t even know if he could handle hearing his voice on the other side of the speaker.

But if he did nothing, Ike would worry.

Soren let the call go to voicemail before typing out a text: I need to be alone right now. Those words were like a magic spell. Whenever Soren had chaotic thoughts he needed to sort through, he needed a certain amount of time alone before he could express himself coherently. Ike knew this and waited patiently every time.

Before long he received a reply: ok, be safe. Soren smiled helplessly at the text. Even now, Ike trusted him so much. Honestly, he didn’t deserve it — not after what he almost did today.

But he had done the right thing in the end.

Now, all he had to do was wait for this week’s edition of Branded Magazine to be published and prepare himself for the inevitable.

*****

Hi, MercenaryBoy.

Thank you for placing your trust in me with your ask.

Lots of people say that it’s good fortune to find a life partner in your best friend, and it sounds to me like you really have your heart set on this person. First and foremost, let me offer up my congratulations.

However, as for how your confession should go, I can’t give you any specifics without knowing the person in question. Some people prefer something exciting and memorable while others prefer something more quiet and intimate. You know your best friend best after all! Think about what you think he would like and speak from the heart. I know that probably sounds a little cliche, but sincerity is important when dealing with someone who knows you so well. A simple “I like you” can go a long way coming from the right person.

As for their reply... call it intuition, but I highly doubt you’ll have any problems in that regard.

Best of luck,

Maiden of the Dawn

*****

After the article was published, Soren kept waiting for the inevitable. He kept waiting for Ike and Ranulf to announce their relationship but much to his surprise, he heard nothing from their mutual friends until, before he knew it, it was the date of Ike’s birthday. And by then he could no longer bring himself to avoid Ike any longer.

Ike celebrated his birthday like he always did: a simple party at his family home with juice for the kids, beer for the adults, and 12 orders of extra-large meat-lovers pizza for all. Soren showed up later in the day, prompting a number of strange looks and concerned questionings from family and friends. Really, Soren couldn’t answer them. He couldn’t explain why he didn’t show up with Ike, so he excused himself and sat in the corner of the room with a cup of water, and watched the door, ready to flee at the first sight of Ike.

Ranulf showed up half an hour later, with Ike nowhere to be seen. On one hand, Soren was relieved that they hadn’t arrived together, but in the other hand, he knew he was only delaying the inevitable.

Ranulf’s eyes brightened after meeting Soren’s gaze as he practically leapt over to his side. “Yo, I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages! Are you ok now?”

“Yes.” Soren replied simply, taking a sip of his water to avoid eye contact.

“Really? You don’t sound ok.” Ranulf frowned slightly. “You’ve been missing for weeks. Ike’s been worried sick.”

Soren felt a pang of guilt but he quashed it down. This was necessary. It’s all to preserve their friendship after the confession, at least that’s what he told himself.

“Seriously, he’s giving you space right now but he hasn’t been able to concentrate on anything else for a while now.” Ranulf said, suddenly serious. “I don’t wanna rush you but I do hope you can talk to him soon. Come on, it’s you two. I’m sure, whatever it is, you’ll work it out.”

“...I’ll talk to him soon, I promise.” Soren muttered. He hadn’t known that his absence was what was holding up the confession, and honestly, being apart from Ike wasn’t fun for him either. It was about time for him to face the inevitable.

“I heard from Stefan you had a great gift planned this year.” Soren said, changing the topic to something, anything else.

“Oh, that.” Ranulf chuckled, touching his nose awkwardly. “It... erm, got lost in transit.”

“I see.” Soren said, staring at his cup of water blankly. Ranulf seemed to take that as a sign and left to chat up the other party guests.

It was at that moment that Ike arrived.

Ike arrived to his own party fashionably late and slightly disheveled — as he did every year. Amidst the friends and surrogate family members crowding around the door, Soren could recognize that head of blue hair anywhere.

Ike. It was Ike.

Soren expected to feel nervous or overwhelmed, but gazing at him from afar brought an unexpected amount of comfort to him. It had confirmed something — he was still in love with Ike. He had loved him for so long that it had become a part of him, something that defined him. And that wasn’t going to disappear just because Ike developed feelings for someone else.

In that moment, he knew: despite everything, Soren would always love Ike.

It turns out, he didn’t say everything he needed to say in that column.

As the crowd thinned, Ike met Soren’s gaze. As Ike’s eyes widened in surprise, Soren smiled. Ike seemed to relax at that as he mouthed, “I’ll talk to you after the party,” before leaving with his sister to cut the cake.

The day continued as usual with toasts, party games, and friendly competitions, but the guest of honor had something on his mind the entire time. Soren of all people could tell.

Very soon, everything would be over.

No, wait, that’s not actually right.

Very soon, something new would begin.

As the day winded down and guests started to leave, Ike signaled for Soren to follow him as he walked up the stairs to the second floor. Soren acquiesced.

Soon the two arrived at Ike’s old bedroom, just as a sunset shine through his blinds, projecting stripes of red onto the walls and Ike’s upper half. Ike looked deeply at Soren, his blue eyes shining with concern. Soren shook his head ruefully. Even though Ike clearly had a lot to say, he was letting Soren speak first — just as he always did whenever Soren reappeared after disappearing for a while.

“I’m sorry.” Soren began. “I didn’t mean to worry you like that.”

“It’s fine, as long as you’re ok, Soren.” Ike said. “Are you ready to talk about it now?”

“More or less, I suppose.” Soren said. Really, he would never be ready for it, but he couldn’t find it in himself to delay it any further. “Ike, the truth is, I’ve been keeping a secret from you for a while.”

Ike’s brow furrowed slightly but he said nothing as he let Soren continue. “I’ve been worried about it for a long time but I see no point to holding it in any longer.” Soren took a shuddering breath. “Ike, I know you like someone.”

Soren paused as he studied Ike’s face. Ike’s eyes had widened with shock before looking away as he revealed a rare flustered expression. Really, he was going to miss the little moments like this the most.

“That’s why I hope you’ll let me finish before saying anything.” Soren said in a low voice, his eyes never leaving Ike’s face (distress, anxiety, hope). It was as if he was trying to memorize every detail, as if he was trying to immortalize this final moment in his mind. The moment before it all changed.

“Ike, I like you.”

Soren said it so quietly, he wasn’t even sure the words had even left his lips.

As Ike’s expression registered shock, Soren looked away. He felt a lightness in his shoulders. There. He had finally said it.

It felt... surprisingly good, despite the foregone conclusion.

“...Me too.”

Soren’s thoughts stopped dead in their tracks.

“I like you too.” Ike said, louder this time, with more determination.

Blue eyes sparkling with joy and relief, met red ones filled with shock as Ike moved closer and Soren’s heart leapt to his throat. As Ike slowly, hesitantly cupped Soren’s face, Soren shuddered at the warm touch.

Was this... real?

“W-Wait...” Soren nearly squeaked, trying not to lean into Ike’s touch. “What about Ranulf?”

“What about him?” Ike asked, oblivious.

“I... I thought you were going to confess to him.”

“What gave you that idea?” Ike asked, utterly befuddled.

“You sent an email to Branded Magazine...”

“You knew about that?” Ike paused as he asked with a frown. “... Don’t tell me you’re Maiden of the Dawn...”

Soren snorted. “No, I just filled in for her two weeks ago.”

“Oh...” Ike said, realization slowly dawning on him. “Wait, that means...”

“Yes.” Soren whispered. Ike froze as his brain slowly processed this information. Then, before Soren understood what was happening, Ike started cracking up.

“You filled in for a romantic advice column?” Ike grinned playfully.

“That’s the part you’re focusing on?”

“Why not? It’s funny.” Ike chuckled, bringing Soren in for a hug. “But seriously, what ever gave you the idea I was talking about Ranulf?”

“You said it you developed feelings for your best friend, and there were only two contenders for that position.” Soren said, his voice muffled by Ike’s warm, broad chest.

“Then why did you think it was Ranulf and not you?”

“...I wasn’t there for you after your father died.”

“Soren, that’s crazy.” Ike said, gently tilting his chin to meet Ike’s eyes. “You were the one who helped me the most in the wake of that. You were the one who checked up on me every day and helped me salvage my grades despite everything.”

“But...”

“Soren, I know you felt bad about missing the funeral, but I meant what I said that day.” Ike said, absentmindedly running his fingers in Soren’s hair. “Trust me, you helped me more than you know. And I know how hard you worked to make time for me even though you had to juggle that with school and work.”

Soren stayed silent at that, unable to do anything but lean against Ike in awe.

“...I probably should’ve listened to Ranulf.” Ike sighed into the top of Soren’s head. “If I put more detail into the ask, this never would’ve happened.”

Soren frowned at that statement. “What do you mean?”

“It was Ranulf who told me to go to Maiden of the Dawn when I realized my feelings for you.” Ike explained. “For some reason he was really adamant about it and even helped me proofread the email. But at the last minute I took out a lot of the details since it didn’t seem that important to the question I was asking.”

“So that’s why that email was higher than the usual standard.” Soren snorted.

“Hey...”

“Kidding. But seriously, was that what you two were discussing last time I came home early from work?”

“Yeah, I guess we weren’t too subtle about it, huh?” Ike scratched his head. “Is that why you thought it was Ranulf?”

Soren hummed in agreement. “I just thought you two were spending a lot of time together recently... I guess I got jealous.”

“Soren, that’s silly. Don’t you know Ranulf was the number one person egging us to get together this whole time?”

“...No.”

“You don’t remember all the jokes about how we were already married?”

“...I just thought he was joking.”

“So did I before I realized things for myself.” Ike muttered. “You said you’ve been keeping this in for a while now. How long has it been, exactly?”

“...10 years.”

Ike’s grip on Soren tightened slightly. “...I’ve kept you waiting. Sorry.”

“No,” Soren said, looking up at Ike through his unshed tears. “You’ve made me the happiest man in the world.”

In the room where their friendship started, two shadows merged into one as the sun dipped below the horizon.

*****

“I’m guessing your present’s finally arrived by now.” Stefan said, taking a shot of whiskey.

“It’d better!” Ranulf groaned. “I seriously underestimated how insecure Soren was. Bah, I knew I should’ve made Ike send the original email!”

“Are you really not bothered?” Stefan raised an eyebrow.

“Please, those two were already married by the time I got into the picture.” Ranulf nodded sagely. “They just hadn’t realized it yet, so I gave those two a little push.”

Stefan snorted. “Well, just remember you owe both me and Micaiah for roping us into this.”

“I’m pretty sure Micaiah wanted to see them get together as much as I did.” Ranulf said, taking a sip from his beer. “I’m actually surprised you went along with it. I always thought you liked Soren.”

“Him? Nah, I’m just a good boss who cares deeply about his employees.” Stefan chuckled.

Ranulf grinned as he held out his glass for cheers. Stefan raised an eyebrow, but ultimately met him halfway.

_Clink._

“To the union of the oblivious couple!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soren: By the way, I still haven’t given you your present yet.  
> Ike: You weren’t my present?  
> Soren: *blushing* No!  
> Ranulf: *sneezes* 
> 
> (This is here because I couldn’t work in Ike and Soren riding on a motorcycle together into the sunset so there’s the end to that subplot lolol)
> 
> Also lots of the memories having to do with emails and such are drawn from my own childhood with my best friend (oh, man I look back at what I thought was cool when I was 12 and cringe ;;) so I hope it doesn’t strain your suspension of disbelief too much xD


	3. Heroes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably the most unconventional Fire Emblem Heroes IkeSoren fic out there. I hope you guys enjoy x)
> 
> I’d write a summary but I wanna keep you guys in suspense~

Ike Greil was a husbando emblem player and he wasn’t ashamed to admit it.

That was the thing when you’re a 13 year-old kid with no pocket money to spare. When you can’t keep up with the current meta, you have no choice but to play casually.

It was just that Ike’s choice playing style consisted of investing solely in his favourite unit.

Ike looked at his level 40 +10 five-star, plus speed, minus defense, fully weapon-refined Soren with pride. It had taken him a tremendous amount of time and effort but with the right support, his favourite unit could now take on lunatic grand hero battles almost single-handedly.

Most of his friends didn’t understand why Ike liked Soren so much. They’d say that Soren was far from a top tier unit even with his newly refined weapon. If anything, he should be used as a general bebuffer, not as a front line fighter.

To those people, Ike would always say, “You can play the game however you want. I’ll play it this way.”

His other friends criticized his taste in husbandos. They said Soren was angsty fanfiction-bait without much depth of character.

To those people, Ike often offered silence. Different people were allowed to like different characters and if they couldn’t see what was great about Soren, then it was their loss.

If you asked Ike Greil why he liked Soren so much, his eyes would shine with delight as he told you all about how cute his level 40 five-star support was. How he looked deeper into the original game and really came to like his cynicism, his devotion, and his secret vulnerabilities hidden deep inside.

If you asked Ike if he shipped IkeSoren, he’d say “Yeah, ‘cause it would make Soren happy.”

Some of his friends teased him about this often. At first Ike didn’t mind it, but when they started shipping him with another kid in their class, he started to get annoyed.

The problem was with this other kid.

He looked a lot like his Soren.

And his name was Soren Nevassa.

The problem was, Ike Greil hated Soren Nevassa.

Unlike his doppelgänger, this Soren wasn’t cute in the least. Instead, this Soren was a rich prick who was never friendly with anyone and acted like he was so much better than everyone else just because he was a little smart.

Honestly, Ike didn’t know what a kid like that was even doing at their school, but ever since the day he transferred in, Ike held a deep dislike for him.

See, the day he first came to school, Ike volunteered to guide him like the Good Samaritan he always strived to be. When Soren wasn’t talkative, he didn’t think much of it. Most new kids were shy, it wasn’t a big deal. But during their first lunch break, Soren Nevassa had seen Ike beat arena with his maxed out Soren when he scoffed. “You’re using Soren in your arena team? What a waste of space.”

There was something about his tone of voice that made Ike want to punch him in the face.

So he did.

He was sent to the principal’s office for it and got a stern lecturing from his parents. At first he actually felt bad about overreacting, but after he apologized to Soren Nevassa, instead of offering an apology in return, the new boy smirked like he had won their argument. Ever since that day, Soren Nevassa became his arch nemesis.

They even used each other’s full names like good nemeses do.

Because apparently, Soren Nevassa’s favourite character in Fire Emblem Heroes was Ike, and according to him, Ike Greil sullied his Ike’s good name.

Soren Nevassa was one of those typical moneybags players. He had a good 100 orbs to spend every time a new banner came out. While it was hardly enough to get all the new units, he had little to no trouble keeping up with the game’s meta.

Whenever the topic of Heroes came up between them, he’d throw shade at Ike, mentioning how his husbando was a top tier unit while Ike’s was barely considered usable. It drove him mad like you wouldn’t believe.

Which was why he was so utterly befuddled when people started teasing the two about being a couple.

To be fair, Ike had to admit that Soren Nevassa looked a great deal like Soren. He had black hair parted down the middle, pale skin, and slightly upturned eyes. Actually, if he grew out his hair, wore red contacts, and painted a brand on his forehead, he’d look as if Soren had stepped straight out of Fire Emblem... but his personality was rotten!

And yeah, Ike himself was rather tall, and he liked wearing headbands, but he had a realistic hair color for heavens sake! People who said he resembled the fictional character Ike were clearly reaching.

Still, despite their retorts, their classmates teased them to no end about it. Even when Ike told others to stop it, they only ever listened for a little while. If anything, the teasing only made them more opposed to the other, as if blaming each other for their general situation.

At least that was the case until the grade-wide overnight trip.

Ike’s middle school had a tradition. Second years had the privilege of going on a 3 day overnight trip to Mono Cliffs. Apparently it had some educational purpose, but to the kids, it was just 3 days of school-sanctioned fun.

At first, Ike was thrilled. He had been looking forward to this trip ever since he had heard about it in elementary school. But when Ike learned that he and Soren were assigned to the same room, his excitement took an immediate nosedive downwards. Sure, Soren was only one person out of a group of 5, but Ike Greil did not want to room with Soren Nevassa. If the kid was this annoying normally, how much more annoying would he be to live with, it only for a night?

Still, it was Mono Cliffs. Ike could make peace with Soren for three days for Mono Cliffs.

But when Ike approached him on the bus, offering a temporary peace treaty, Soren Nevassa turned up his nose and ignored him. From that point onward, Ike decided to stop caring about the roommate problem and ignore the prick.

And true to his word, by the time they arrived to Mono Cliffs, Ike had forgotten all about his conflict with Soren Nevassa. There was climbing, hiking, and roasting marshmallows over the open fire. By the time the first night ended, Ike forgot all about his room arrangements until it was already bedtime.

Sadly, Ike’s fears came true.

Upon reaching their dorm room, Soren Nevassa immediately unpacked his neatly folded belongings and drew a line between him and his roommates, warning them not to bother him lest they incur his wrath. Then he promptly turned away and silently read one of the books he brought.

Still, it could’ve been worse. Ike had expected him to act more entitled, actually. However, from the looks on his other roommates’ faces, they weren’t pleased at all.

After a round of cards and games, the incident went largely forgotten though, and before long the roommates (minus Soren) agreed to rest for the night — after all, there was still a lot to do tomorrow, and Ike Greil did not want to miss a second of it.

But things didn’t go quite as expected.

In the middle of the night, Ike awoke for a bathroom break only to trip on Soren’s stack of books on the way back. He expected Soren to wake up and give him a tongue-lashing, but to his surprise his bed was empty.

Ike looked around the room. All his other roommates were present, so where was Soren? He hadn’t run into him on the way to the washroom, so where had he gone? A part of Ike told him to ignore Soren Nevassa. Every time he tried to reach out and be the bigger person, Soren would ignore him. Honestly, it just wasn’t worth bothering anymore.

But another part of Ike, the one that spoke in his father’s voice, told him to do the right thing.

And so, Ike Greil went looking for Soren Nevassa.

He considered looking for a teacher but the situation struck him as odd. While Soren Nevassa was no stickler to the rules, he made a point to obey the ones he thought made sense — with safety rules being above all else. Ike would know; he was his nemesis after all. So, for him to willingly break a key safety rule was unthinkable.

Part worried and part curious, Ike started looking for clues. The first thing he noticed was how Soren’s blanket wasn’t neatly folded like the rest of his clothes: instead it looked like it had been thrown off in a hurry. Also those books Ike tripped over shouldn’t have been lying scattered on the floor, but stacked in a neat pile near the head of Soren’s bed. Apart from that, nothing else was out of place. Something was very wrong here.

Ike took to the halls, carefully looking for any signs of the raven-haired boy. A light from under a door. A moving shadow. A familiar silhouette... Ike knew what to look for, but he found nothing. Just as he was about to give up, the moon revealed itself from behind its cloudy covers, causing Ike to instinctively look out the window. And that’s when he spotted him.

Outside, washing his wounds with a water bottle, was Soren Nevassa.

Ike’s brain lurched. But before he could process what he had just seen, by chance Soren Nevassa looked up and met Ike’s gaze, his eyes slowly widening with wonder.

“W-what are you doing here?” Soren hissed, the wonder in his eyes replaced with caution and hostility.

“I should be the one asking you that.” Ike said.

“It’s none of your business.” Soren snapped.

Ike used the chance to take a closer look Soren’s injuries. Soren Nevassa had tiny cuts in his face and arms, bruises on his knees, a black eye, and dirt on his usually pristine clothes. It looked like he had gotten into a scuffle and then wandered around outside for a couple of hours.

“You’re hurt.” Ike frowned. “Who did this to you?”

Soren Nevassa scoffed. “Who else but our wonderful roommates?” He absentmindedly brushed his fingers across his black eye as his lips curled into a sneer. “What, have you come to gloat? To jeer? To mock my current, miserable state?”

“I wouldn’t do something like that.” Ike’s frown deepened.

“Then why are you here?”

“I was worried about you.”

Soren recoiled at the statement as if it had burned him. “You lie...”

“I’m not!” Ike snapped. “Anyone would worry if they found their roommate suddenly missing in the middle of the night.”

“...Evidently, not our roommates.” Soren muttered after a while.

Ike scratched the back of his head. “Ok, to be fair, you were being a huge prick. While I don’t think what they did was right in the least, I wouldn’t call it unprovoked either. Would it really kill you to be nice?”

Soren’s eyes narrowed as he looked away, his arms wrapped around his knees. “...Talking to you is meaningless.” He said after a while. “You’ve confirmed that I’m fine. You’ve fulfilled your hypocritical just act of the day, so can you just go back to bed and leave me alone already?”

Ike’s brow furrowed. “I have no idea what you’re talking about but I’m not leaving you outside to freeze.” With that Ike started moving towards the nearest exit.

“W-wait, what are you doing?” Soren stuttered, jogging to catch up to Ike as he passed by window after window.

“I’m letting you in. You’re locked outside, right?”

“...I’m not.” Soren bit his lip. “I’m not locked outside so you can go now.”

Ike froze. “Wait, what? The teachers told us the doors would be locked at night.”

Soren rolled his eyes. “As if I’d leave the dorms without taking that into consideration. I’m not you, Ike Greil.”

Ah yes, there it was. The signature Soren Nevassa arrogance.

“I propped the door open with a big stick, so I’ll be fine. Now just go back to bed already.” His last sentence was said with a hint of pleading and exasperation. And Ike knew, Soren Nevassa had to be dead tired to reveal any signs of weakness.

To be honest, Ike was tempted to go. It was almost 1 AM and he didn’t want to miss the morning activities. But in the end, his reservations got the better of him. “No. It’s dangerous being outside alone. I’m coming with you.”

Ignoring Soren’s protests, Ike left the building. The night air was every bit as biting as he thought it’d be.

“Ike Greil, do you have problems listening to instructions?” Soren hissed as he tried to push Ike back inside. “I already said, I don’t need your help.”

Unfortunately for him, Ike Greil was a lot stronger than Soren Nevassa.

“Since when do I have to listen to you?” Ike pushed back against Soren, and suddenly they were wrestling, fighting for control of the situation. “I don’t get it. You’re obviously looking for something so wouldn’t it be faster with two people?”

“I’ll be fine.” Soren hissed through gritted teeth.

“You’ve got cuts all over your face. Somehow, I doubt that.”

Soren seemed to back off a little at that, giving Ike the advantage. “What were you looking for so desperately? It’s something really important to you, right?”

“Why do you care? You don’t like me anyway!” Soren blurted out, pushing against Ike with all his might.

“Yeah, I don’t like you.”

Soren flinched at the bluntness of the statement. “But I don’t think you deserve this.” Ike said, his voice firm and unwavering.

Soren looked up at Ike hesitantly, and Ike’s mind nearly came to a halt. Was it an illusion? Was he just that tired? Or could it be, Soren Nevassa was really looking at him with vulnerability of all things?

Soren seemed to find what he was looking for as he slowly untangled himself from Ike. “I see... it looks like I can’t shake you off. Do as you wish.”

Ike sighed in frustration at Soren Nevassa’s lack of gratefulness but fell into step beside him. “But seriously, what happened? What exactly did our roommates do?”

“After you went to sleep and I went to the washroom, they took one of my belongings and threw it into the woods.” Soren spoke flippitantly. “When I got back, they said they were getting revenge on your behalf, so I got mad and punched them. They punched me back and-“

“What? Wait, back up that revenge part.” Ike frowned. “I never asked them to do anything like that!”

“Maybe so, but everyone in our grade knows that Ike Greil hates Soren Nevassa.” Soren said lightly. “And Ike Greil is the most popular boy in our grade. It’d make sense for them to want to get on your good side.”

Ike’s frown deepened. If Soren’s guess was true, maybe everything was Ike’s fault at the end of the day. Maybe that one, impulsive punch had made the class turn on Soren. And if nobody liked him, there was no reason for him to be pleasant to anyone, especially Ike Greil, the instigator of everything.

“Sorry, I didn’t think something like this would happen. It’s my fault.” Ike muttered, lowering his head.

“... No, it’s not.” Soren shook his head, surprising Ike. “They would’ve done it anyway given the way I snubbed them. I was simply hypothesizing why they’d mention your name when you had nothing to do with the incident.”

Ike’s frown didn’t lessen, however. “Not for that, for everything else.”

It took Soren a minute before he got it. “You’re overthinking it. My guess was just conjecture, after all.”

“Yeah, but everyone knows Soren Nevassa is the smartest kid in our grade.” Ike said. “If you’re saying it, then it’s gotta be true.”

“I didn’t know you had so much confidence in me.” Soren smirked, but there wasn’t the usual arrogance, but a teasing lit to his voice.

That’s when Ike realized it. He was actually having a normal, reasonable conversation with Soren Nevassa — and he was enjoying himself.

“Huh, I guess I do.” Ike said, surprising himself.

Soren’s eyes widened at that before turning away. Did Ike imagine it, or did Soren Nevassa actually get embarrassed?

“...It’s getting late. We should hurry.”

“We?” Ike asked, half teasing, half surprised.

“Are you taking back your offer to help or not?” Soren said, avoiding Ike’s gaze.

“Nah, I’ll help.” Ike grinned, jogging to catch up to Soren. “So what are we looking for?”

Soren chewed his lip, hesitating. “...You have to promise not to laugh.”

“Why would I? It doesn’t matter what it is, it’s important to you, isn’t it?” Ike said. “Everyone has something important to them. Why would I laugh at that?”

Soren looked up at Ike in wonder before snapping out of it. “...Alright, it’s my phone.” He said, avoiding Ike’s gaze.

“That’s pretty normal. Why would that be embarrassing?” Ike asked.

Soren remained silent, nervously chewing his lip.

“Alright, fair enough.” Ike said, scratching his head. “Well if it’s your phone, this’ll make things a lot easier. Just gimmie your phone number and I’ll call it. As long as it’s not on silent or vibrate we should be able to find it easily.”

“It’s not.” Soren said, delight crossing his expression. “I... didn’t think of that.”

“Of course not. You always do everything alone.” Ike blurted out without thinking as he handed Soren his cell phone. As soon as the words left his mouth he realized how insensitive they were. But before he could apologize, Soren shushed him as he punched in his phone number, his expression carefully blank.

Neither of them said anything as they waited for the call to go through.

Then, a song echoed through the empty woods. A song Ike could recognize anywhere: the Fire Emblem Heroes title screen song.

“You seriously set that as your ringtone?” Ike laughed as Soren dashed towards the source of the song.

“...You promised not to laugh.” Soren muttered quietly as he dug through the foliage, grasping for his phone.

“No, no, it’s not that.” Ike chuckled. “Just gimmie a sec.” He said as he took back his cellphone. Soren opened his mouth to say something when the same song blared from Ike’s cell, in 8-bit.

Soren looked up at Ike in surprise as Ike grinned back at him. Something in Soren’s expression softened as the two melodies ended. Clutching his newly-found phone to his chest, Soren quietly muttered. “Now I finally understand why you’re the most popular boy in our grade.”

Ike blinked at the sudden change in topic, but he swallowed his words the instant he saw Soren’s smile.

“Thank you... Ike Greil.” Soren said quietly. “I’m afraid I’ve misjudged you.”

“The same goes for me. I misjudged you too.” Ike said quickly.

“Let me guess. You thought I was a pompous prick before, yes?”

“... Am I really that obvious?”

Soren chuckled. “No, I’m well aware of my own shortcomings is all.” Soren paused as the trees shifted in the wind and the moonlight fell on his face at an angle that made Ike’s throat tighten.

“If you’re aware then why don’t you do something about it?” Ike asked quietly.

“I can’t be like you, Ike.” Soren said. “I’m not a kind or friendly person, and I don’t think I ever will be.”

Ike frowned. “You don’t have to force yourself to be friendly, Soren. All you need to do is stop pushing everyone away.”

Soren stayed silent at that, pondering. Ike took the chance to sit beside him, curious about his ex-arch nemesis.

“...It’s not like I haven’t tried.” Soren finally said with difficulty. “I’ve tried making friends, Ike, but I’ve failed every time. I think I’m just not destined for such things.”

“Really?” Ike frowned, not recalling a single time Soren actively attempted to have a friendly conversation with anyone.

“...Do you remember the first day I arrived?” Soren said, biting his lip.

“Yeah, how could I forget?” Ike snorted. “You insulted my favourite character out of nowhere.”

“... Would you believe me if I told you that was a failed attempt at small talk?”

“What? No way!” Ike blurted out, carefully examining Soren’s expression. To his surprise, Soren was growing redder and redder by the second, completely embarrassed and mortified.

“Here...” He muttered as he took out his cell phone and passed it to Ike. Ike looked down to see it open to a carefully organized note on how to talk to other kids. Complete with examples and annotations, it was clear how much effort had been put into it. Towards the very top of the document was a quote. _“People aren't perfect. We all make mistakes. But we also love our families and our friends... We should never forget that we all have that same capacity for love.”_

Ike snapped back and looked at Soren only to see a head of raven hair buried into his hands and knees.

“This is one of Vanguard Ike’s castle quotes, right?” Ike asked.

“Yeah...” Soren shifted slightly, revealing half of his face to Ike. “Whenever I read it, it gives me courage to talk to others... but getting punched in the face definitely put a dent in that.”

“I’m sorry. I overreacted.”

“No, it’s fine, I understand. Your favourite character was insulted. I’d get mad too.” Soren said quietly.

“If you understand then why’d you say it?” Ike frowned.

“Because your team composition was genuinely horrible.” Soren said.

“What are you talking about? Yeah, it was a little unconventional but it worked just fine!”

“Do you have any idea how much SP you wasted giving three Ikes Rally Def and giving Soren Bonfire of all things? What kind of build gives a minus def Soren bonfire?”

“Hey, I’ll play the game my way. You can play it your way.”

“Honestly...” Soren sighed. With that the two fell into silence, saying nothing as they gazed up at the night sky.

“... I think I get it.” Ike said after a while. “You just wanted a conversation like that, didn’t you?”

Soren stayed silent at that but something about his body language gave Ike affirmation.

After a moment, Ike chuckled. “It looks like I’m not the only one with foot-in-mouth syndrome.”

Soren snorted. “Yeah, right. You’re Mr. Popular remember? Since when have you gotten on anyone’s bad side?”

“I say the wrong thing all the time.” Ike said seriously. “It’s true, I often don’t think before I speak. That tends to offend people a lot.”

Soren knit his brows in confusion as Ike continued. “I think the difference is, I apologize after I’ve realized I’ve done something wrong while you don’t apologize at all. Right now, you’re clearly telling everyone you don’t want friends and you want to be alone through your every word and action, so of course they’re not going to bother with you.”

After a moment of contemplative silence, Soren spoke. “...I guess I’m scared of getting hurt.”

Ike cocked his head questioningly as Soren continued. “I had a friend back at my old school who I was very close to. I thought he was the best person ever and did whatever I did for him, but I later found out he was just using me.”

Ike frowned as Soren picked at the grass at their feet.

“He had some power in the class though, so after I cut ties with him, he managed to turn the class against me.” Soren admitted quietly. “I got by, convincing myself that I didn’t care about any of them, and over time I just got used to driving everyone away...”

“Soren...”

“It’s a poor excuse, but I am the way I am for a reason.” Soren paused. “That’s when I got into Heroes actually.“

Ike remained silent and let Soren continue. “I like strategy games, so at first I just played it to pass the time, but before long I started really liking the characters.” Soren said with a smile as he clutched his phone tighter to his chest. “Ike was my hero. He was so strong yet so sincere... I wanted to be more like him. So when I moved to a new school, I thought I’d make a fresh start.”

“...And then I punched you in the face.” Ike groaned, feeling heavy with guilt.

“I probably deserved it.” Soren said. “And don’t apologize. You didn’t know.”

Ike opened his mouth to speak when a cold wind swept by them, causing them both to shudder.

“We should get back.” Soren said, standing up abruptly.

“Wait.” Ike said, grabbing Soren’s wrist. “I need to say something first.” Soren raised an eyebrow but allowed Ike to continue. “I know you don’t want an apology but I’ve gotta say it. I judged you before I ever got to know you properly and I’m really sorry about that. You’re not nearly as bad as I thought you were.”

“...And you’re a lot more like Ike than you know.” Soren whispered.

“...What?”

“Nothing, never mind.” Soren said quickly, turning away before Ike could say anything else.

The two quietly snuck back inside, Ike trailing behind Soren (who walked surprisingly fast for a boy so short), the moonlight lighting their way as they traveled down the winding halls. As they approached their dorm room, a sliver of light shone from under the door. Ike and Soren glanced at each other in silent agreement before they both pressed their ears against the door, with Ike’s head precariously close to Soren’s.

“...Should we get a teacher?” A muffled voice came from on the other side.

“No way! What if that jerk tells on us?”

“But Ike’s missing too...”

“Ike probably just went to the washroom.”

“Are you sure? It looks like he’s been gone for a while...”

It was that moment Ike chose to open the door to the dorm room, surprising both his roommates and Soren.

“Ike! You’re back!”

“Where’d you go?”

Their excited cries quieted as they caught sight of Soren coming in from behind him. Quickly, their murmurs turned from excitement to confusion and hostility. Ike’s brows furrowed at the sight.

“Guys, I know you might not like Soren but that’s no excuse for what you did.” Ike reprimanded sternly. “I want you to apologize to him. He’ll do the same for you so after everything’s over we’ll call it even, okay?”

The other three boys stared at him in shock. Then after registering his words, they broke into a spew of indignant retorts.

“Why do we have to apologize first? He’s the one who was acting like a jerk this whole time!”

“Yeah! He punched us first!”

“He’s been rude to us ever since he arrived!”

“...I’m sorry.” Soren said quietly, stammering out the words. But the sound of his voice was drowned out by their cries.

Ike’s brows furrowed. “Guys, he just apologized.”

But the boys were still voiced their displeasure. “What, that counts as a proper apology?”

“Say it louder!”

“Show some sincerity!”

Soren bit his lip and subconsciously grabbed hold of Ike’s sleeves. Ike’s eyes narrowed. “He already apologized so stop hounding him like this! You haven’t even apologized for throwing away one of his things yet.” Ike said.

But his defense only seemed to further ignite their angry cries.

“Why are you standing up for him of all people?”

“Yeah, besides, I thought you didn’t like Soren Nevassa.”

“...Unless the rumors were true... You two aren’t really a couple, are you?!”

That last comment made Ike’s brows furrow. He had had this argument many, many times before, but they never seemed to listen. Ike was cold, sleep-deprived, and his patience was running out, fast.

But before he could act, a pillow was hurled at the nearest boy, knocking him on his back in surprise. Ike blinked in surprise as he turned around to see Soren Nevassa of all people brandishing a pillow like a projectile weapon, glaring coldly at the three offenders.

“Ignore them, Ike.” Soren said, in that haughty tone of his (normally, it’d drive Ike crazy but somehow at this moment, it seemed... kinda cute?) “The words of fools should not be listened to.”

This blatant provocation seemed to infuriate their roommates as they grabbed their pillows and charged towards Soren.

Ike frowned and intercepted the attack, bearing the brunt of the damage. But in the exchange, he managing to snatch a pillow away from one of the attackers. Under the force of Ike’s assault, the three backed off, just as Soren went into his luggage bag and dug out two more pillows.

That was when Ike Greil decided he rather liked Soren Nevassa’s style.

Soren grabbed the two pillows and threw them at the nearest kid, calling out “Adept!”

Ike laughed as he caught one off the rebound and swung it downwards. “Two can play at this game, Aether!”

“You heal back 6 HP.” Soren said through labored breaths.

“What, I only did 12 damage?” Ike turned to look at Soren. Soren’s hair was desheveled, his face flushed with effort, and with an incredibly lively expression on his face (a total contrast from his normally composed and snooty countenance). Suddenly Ike felt like he needed a drink of water... badly.

“Ike, look out!”

In his inattention, a pillow collided with the side of Ike’s face, sending him staggering backwards. But Soren was there by his side in an instant, tossing out another pillow with extreme accuracy. The two of them worked back to back, fighting off the invaders, falling into a natural rhythm that allowed them to overpower their foes.

Still, they were outnumbered. If their stamina started failing them, they wouldn’t last the night.

Just as Soren’s accuracy started falling due to fatigue, a shrill voice rang through the air, piercing the boys’ eardrums.

_“What in the world is going on here?!”_

The 12 year olds all froze in their tracks as they slowly turned to the door. In the doorway stood their home room teacher, looking like she would skin them alive if they moved a single toe out of line.

And that was how the dorm-wide pillow fight came to an anticlimactic end.

While the three who had stolen Soren’s phone got into the most trouble, Ike and Soren were not much better off. The two were banned from all further camp activities for the duration of the trip. In fact, the entire group spent the last two days in the wooden lodge, doing nothing, with a displeased teacher breathing down their necks.

It boring as all heck.

But if you asked Ike whether he regretted his actions that day, he’d say, “Not in a million years!”

By the time they returned to the school, everyone knew that something had happened between Ike, Soren and their ex-roommates. But the center of their attention lay squarely on Ike Greil and Soren Nevassa, as the two’s relationship suddenly changed for the better after the trip. While they still couldn’t be considered friends, they no longer avoided each other like the plague and occaisionally, they’d even approach the other for casual conversation.

And it was slowly becoming more and more frequent.

A kid even swore they saw Soren Nevassa laughing once, though nobody believed him.

While there was much speculation about the matter (and even more unwelcome shipping), nobody knew the truth behind the matter but the two boys, who kept that night’s conversation buried deeply in their hearts.

....

Now, if you asked Ike Greil if he liked Soren Nevassa, he’d blush and say “Well, maybe a little.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh this was probably the most OOC IkeSoren fic I’ve ever written but surprisingly I lovedddd it! It was so fun writing a younger, less mature Ike and Soren who were vastly different from their usual counterparts, but nonetheless resembled them after closer inspection.
> 
> Originally, this fic was supposed to be inspired by that one Pokémon black and white comic that was really touching about a boy and a girl playing as the opposite gender in game (that I still can’t remember the title of) but oh man, that concept went wildly off track here!
> 
> This Soren was probably raised by Almedha (hence the general snootiness) and honestly, I imagine if that version of Soren never showed any weakness to Ike, Ike wouldn’t like him much at all. Coupled with the sometimes cruel actions of children, it was a blast writing this misunderstanding fic.
> 
> Also the pillow fight was the cutest thing I’ve ever thought of and that will probably never change kk thanks bai.


	4. Wishful Thinking

Despite popular belief, Ike was in fact _not_ oblivious to love.

He could see it in Titania’s gaze towards his father. It was in her warmth and her dedication, in the fondness in her voice as she recalled Greil’s memory. If he ever had any doubts, Titania’s quiet sobs the night he broke the news made it all too clear.

He could see it in the way Boyd spoke to Mist. How his bravado was betrayed by the faint crack in his voice whenever he teased her. How Mist, in turn, would huff back, the slight quirk of her lips betraying her true feelings.

He could see it in Aimee’s fingers as they lingered when she handed him the weapons he ordered. Ignoring the problem only made her behaviour escalate, seemingly spurred on by his lack of interest. Suddenly it was unsubtle glances, obnoxious nicknames, and chasing him around camp in the wee hours of night.

And then there was Soren.

With Soren, it was more complicated.

When Soren’s touch lingered on his skin, he could never be sure whether it was real or just his imagination.

When Soren’s eyes met his, he couldn’t tell if it counted as staring. It never seemed to last long enough. Ike could search those eyes (red, red, red) for a lifetime - breath hitching, blood running hot under Soren’s widening gaze.

When Soren tore away, suddenly, jerkily, Ike could have easily imagined the pinkness dusting his cheeks. He was too focused on the quiet hum of Soren’s snowy throat and the way he brushed his dark, silky hair behind his ear.

When Soren smiled, softly, with all the gentleness others would never think possible, Ike almost felt it then. It was just a subtle curve of the lips, the release of tension in his shoulders, and the smoothening of his brow, but Ike’s heart beat with contentment at the sight, knowing he was the one who coaxed it out of him.

(No, not knowing. Not exactly.)

When Soren’s drove Aimee off, Ike couldn’t imagine it was jealousy. Soren sold him out. Yes, he managed to make her go away, but Ike was the one who had to deal with the aftermath. (At least holding an armful of food would slow her down the next time she came chasing after him, but still.) And then, Soren cooed that horrible, horrible nickname. Jokingly. Teasingly. Lips pulled into a smirk, mischief in his eyes. And suddenly, Ike hated that nickname a little less.

When Soren talked strategy, Ike was filled with silent praises. He could listen to Soren explain things all day. His voice was always hard and decisive, but whenever he talked strategy it carried a hint of confidence. Soren knew his plans were brilliant. Ike hoped he knew the rest of him was too.

When Soren sat right next to him, eyes distant, like he was a thousand miles away, Ike had to fight off the urge to pull him closer. Closer, where he could feel the warmth of his body or smell that familiar mix of parchment, ink, and herbs.

When Soren appeared in his dreams with expressions and movements so vivid, Ike could have sworn it was real.

When he woke up alone, both relieved and disappointed.

With Soren he could never be so sure.

After all, he didn’t want it to be wishful thinking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a canon fic as opposed to the usual cute au! Because Ike pining for Soren will never go out of fashion :) 
> 
> This is actually the first IkeSoren fic I’ve ever written but I didn’t post it because I didn’t think it was good enough.
> 
> Why am I posting it now? Well, I’m taking the time to announce that all of my fics are going on hiatus. Sorry, idk what to say but I’m just kinda burned out OTL
> 
> I might come back to it eventually and I definitely will never ever ever ever get sick of this pairing, but for now it’s a goodbye TvT)/


	5. The Soulmate Goose of Enforcement

Soren was not someone who paid attention to rumours.

But this newest one was simply too ridiculous to ignore.

Suddenly, everyone on campus was talking about a certain thing: that if you find a goose wandering around on campus and follow it, it will lead you to your soulmate. 

Nobody knew where it had originated from, but high-profile couples began appearing, all citing this as the inciting incident to their romances. Student Association president, Elincia, the most sought-after bachelorette around campus, found her boyfriend through this very method. The same went for Kieran, the lunatic who could be found regularly bleeding from his sports-related injuries. Nobody expected Boyd of the football team to end up with anyone, but apparently, the soulmate goose even managed to find him a girlfriend (who must have been blind, Soren thought to himself mildly).

The clincher was when Haar, known around campus as the man who could sleep anywhere, who had a complete Reddit thread dedicated to him on the school forums where people posted pictures of the weirdest places he was found napping (in the middle of a lecture, on the stairs of the psychology building, on the floor of the registrar’s office, etc.), found companionship in the ace of the tennis team, Jill.

From there on, the rumour exploded, with people keeping an eye out for geese practically around every corner of campus, hoping for the slightest glimpse of their soulmate. 

Of course, being the cynic he was, Soren could instantly tell the many problems to this rumour. 

First and foremost, geese were  _ everywhere _ on campus. They nested on the roofs of faculty buildings, wandered around on the fields, and attacked people during mating season. 

Secondly, most of the couples were already people who knew each other fairly well upon closer inspection. They were already two inches away from getting together officially, so it was likely a coincidence in terms of timing. 

And lastly, and most importantly, Soren didn’t believe in soulmates.

He had been mulling over this thought walking back to the dorm when a goose began honking loudly at him, causing him to nearly drop his coffee. He turned and saw a canadian goose staring at him with black beady eyes, neck lowered and poised to strike. And before Soren could even process what had happened, the goose lunged at him, flapping his wings and honking madly.

Soren turned and ran, but the goose proved to be faster than he expected. It slammed into his back, knocking the wind out of his lungs, and causing him to stumble in his steps. Seeing another opportunity to attack, the devil spawn with wings lunged at him again, creating yet another bruise on his back.

Over the sound of the mad honks, Soren could hear the worried murmurs and camera clicks coming from around him. And yet, not a single person stepped forward to help. But Soren continued to run, occasionally looking back to confirm that yes, the goose was still chasing him.  

_ Soulmate goose my ass.  _ Soren thought as he saw the vicious actions of the goose from over his shoulder. It was in this moment that he bumped into something large and warm.

Soren muttered curses under his breath, but before he could take off, a warm hand rested itself on his shoulders, and a low husky voice breathed into his ear. “Don’t move, it’ll only keep chasing if you run.”

Soren froze. He didn’t know who this person was, but their steady tone of voice made him inclined to believe in him. 

After several moments, the man’s grip relaxed on his shoulder and he turned back to see the goose waddling off, back to its original spot. Soren looked back at the man questioningly and saw a handsome face staring back down at him, kind blue eyes lingering on his wounds.

Suddenly, he found himself tongue-tied.

“Hey, are you alright?” The man asked with a frown as he checked over Soren’s wounds.

“For the most part...” Soren muttered, wincing. “...Thank you for helping me.”

“No problem, mating season is brutal. Lots of people are getting mauled by geese in the spring.” The boy said. “Next time you come across a goose ready to attack, remain calm, don’t turn your back and slowly back away. They’re just protective of their eggs, so they won’t wander too far if you do things right.”

“You certainly know a lot about geese,” Soren said, raising an eyebrow.

The man shrugged. “My sister got attacked by one two weeks ago, so I picked it up. Now come on, let’s get to the nurse’s office and check up on your injuries. You’ve probably got a lot of bruises on your back.”

Soren looked up at the man who held out his hand towards him and paused. He didn’t trust overly-friendly strangers, but seeing the plain concern in the man’s eyes, he gingerly took his hand.

The man smiled, knocking the breath out of Soren for the second time today. “By the way, I’m Ike. What’s your name?”

Soren was not someone who paid attention to rumours.

But he decided to give this newest one a chance, anyway.

“It’s Soren.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't been feeling well for the past two days so I wrote myself something to cheer me up XD
> 
> Based off that one ao3tagoftheday tag. Unbetaed. Unedited. We die like men.


	6. Rainy Day Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluff with a side of classic cliches. Gratuitous flirting. You have been warned.

Soren woke up at 9:30 AM to cloudy skies and the promise of rain. Normally, on a day like this one, he preferred to stay in, but he had a prior engagement he had no intention of missing.

That morning, he changed out of his grey crew neck, picked out his cleanest pressed shirt, his most flattering pair of jeans, and carefully combed his hair before double checking himself in the mirror. Even though the rain would surely ruin a great deal of his effort, these comforting rituals helped quash the building nervousness.

Breakfast was eaten, his bag was packed, and the time checked and double checked before he confirmed that everything was ready. He slipped on a new pair of sneakers (with rubber soles to keep out the rain) and grabbed the largest umbrella he owned before heading out the door.

The skies enveloped in rain were grey, cloudy, and utterly unbecoming of June. While he greatly preferred it when the sun remained hidden, Soren was never a fan of rainy days. It always seemed cooler in the rain, and there was always that unpleaisant earthy smell that clung to him whenever he stepped out, but today, Soren didn’t notice any of that. Anticipation drove out the cold, and lost in his thoughts, he barely noticed the smell.

Despite the pitter patter of rain, the world seemed stiller somehow, with the roads completely devoid of cars and the paths completely devoid of people. Soren figured it made sense, it was still technically a school day, even though classes were cancelled due to final exams. The adults were still in their offices and the students back home. Soren figured he was the only person crazy enough to be out on a day like today.

But he was going to meet that person, rain or no rain.

The path to Soren’s high school naturally went though a ravine. The tree branches above him flourished with green, and the uneven concrete beneath his feet pooled with shallow water puddles, but the scenic view was wasted on him, all his efforts focused on staying dry.

Finally, after a slightly arduous journey, Soren reached the school. The doors opened easily with a quiet click, revealing an empty foyer. The exams for English, Math and Science had already been completed and only the elective classes remained.

With one hand, he lightly shook his umbrella free of raindrops, and with the other, double checked the room number. He already had it memorized by heart, but it wouldn’t kill him to be sure. Confirming his destination, he started down the language hallway, his sneakers squeaked with the rain.

Finally, his steps slowed and he approached the Spanish classroom. Peeking through the window in the door, he saw rows of students head down, busily filling in their exam papers. Sure enough, he was early. Soren checked his phone for the time but there were only 10 more minutes until the exam was scheduled to end. Setting down his umbrella, he leaned back against the wall and waited.

He had waited for many months, a few minutes wouldn’t hurt him now.

It wasn’t long before he heard the teachers muffled voice, followed by the shuffling of papers and the shifting of chairs. The students left the room in clusters, some chatting with friends about their answers, and others simply glad that everything was over. Some of the people that passed Soren gave him questioning looks, most ignored him while others smiled, but Soren only gave them a cursory glance. He had yet to see the one he was waiting for.

As the flow of people staunched, Soren peeked through the window and saw a small number of people lingering in the room, just chatting. One student was talking to the Spanish teacher while the others were scattered through the classroom: some lounging in their seats, while others standing with their backpacks thrown over their shoulders. And then he spotted him, the person he had been waiting for.

Ike stood there, tall and handsome, lightly leaning against a table, his bag hanging off a shoulder. He wasn’t doing anything in particular, just standing there talking, but it gave Soren pause. From the infamous wild child Ranulf, to the student council president Elincia, Ike always had an uncanny ability for getting along with just about anyone, and this proved to be no different. And Soren knew this. He knew this and yet somehow it made him uneasy.

Soren never had many friends, in fact it’d be a stretch to say he had a single one in the three years he stayed at this school, but if there was one person he was closest to, it was Ike. Ike, the most popular boy in school. Ike, the boy he tutored for over two years. Ike, his crush.

So when Ike wanted to do something for him to pay him back for helping him pass his courses, Soren leapt at the opportunity to have him all to himself — just for a day. But sadly their schedules didn’t line up, and the only time he was available was after his last exam: today.

But seeing him with his friends cooled Soren’s head. He had always known that it wasn’t really a date, but he wanted to indulge the thought. And indulge he did, for every moment they spent together, every time Ike sat close enough to feel his warmth, every time their fingers brushed against each other.

But somewhere along the way, he convinced himself that he really had a chance.

And Soren knew it was a mistake.

But he couldn’t help himself.

Soren smiled wryly as he retracted his gaze. In the end, that was what liking someone was like: the irrational thoughts, the nervousness and self-consciousness, the hope that just maybe he likes you... But even then, Soren could never regret liking Ike.

Meeting Ike was the best thing that ever happened to him, and it was only natural that he’d come to like him.

So if he had no desire to rectify the issue, the only thing he could do was follow the tacks laid out before him.

Suddenly, Ike shifted, meeting Soren’s gaze through the window. Soren felt a thread of panic as he saw Ike blink in surprise, abruptly retracting his head as he did his best to will away the flush rising to his cheeks. He heard’s muffled voice through the door and before he knew it, his footsteps were fast approaching. Soren barely had the time to compose himself before the door swung open.

“Sorry, did I keep you waiting?” Ike asked, stepping out to face Soren.

“N-no, not at all.” Soren blurted out. “I haven’t been waiting long.”

Ike frowned slightly. “I wasn’t expecting you to get here this early. I figured you’d be late ‘cause of the rain.”

“It’s fine, really.” Soren insisted.

“If you say so,” Ike said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Alright, where to? You’re the boss for today.”

“The sudden rain essentially cancelled what I had planned. Plus, you’re probably hungry. Let’s just go somewhere close for lunch.”

“There’s a plaza that’s just a 20 minute walk away.” Ike suggested. “It’s got some good stuff, but the bus won’t take us there, so I dunno.”

“No, that sounds fine.” Soren said. “The busses would be delayed in the rain anyhow so walking is fine.”

“Cool,” Ike smiled, falling into step beside Soren. “Then let’s go.”

And with a quick goodbye to Ike’s friends, they were off, leaving the language hallway far behind them. They stopped by the main entrance, giving both of them time to fish for their umbrellas. As Soren retrieved his umbrella, he saw Ike fumble through his backpack with a gradually deepening frown.

“What’s wrong? Did you forget your umbrella?” Soren asked offhandedly.

“...Yeah actually,” Ike grimaced. “I must’ve left it at home during the morning rush.”

Soren paused in his motions, his heart thumping traitorously. “...That’s fine. We can share.” He said, trying to disguise the hopefulness in his voice.

“Are you sure?” Ike asked, his eyes brightening.

“Yes, Ike.” Soren said, opening the umbrella and holding it between them. But with their height difference, Soren had to extend his arm uncomfortably just to accommodate Ike. Ike smiled in turn and took the handle from Soren, comfortably holding the umbrella over their heads as they stepped out into the rain.

The morning drizzle had grown into a heavy downpour, but for the two people under the large plastic umbrella, the rain was of little consequence.

“Woah, it’s really heavy now.” Ike muttered, looking at the deep puddles along their path. “I swear it wasn’t even raining by the time I left the house.”

“I guess it snuck up on you then,” Soren quipped. His socks were soaked and their shoulders bumped against each other uncomfortably, but Soren had never felt happier.

“Ninja rain.” Ike grinned after a second.

Soren chuckled, “Ninja rain, indeed.”

The two descended into silence as they shuffled down the ravine. The slope going into the tiny canyon was slippery with rain, and Soren’s new sneakers were greatly lacking in traction. He was already regretting his brief moment of vanity when Ike chuckled and held out his free hand, silently offering Soren a crutch to hold onto. Soren stared wide-eyed at the outstretched hand before gingerly taking it, feeling Ike’s large, warm fingers intertwine with his own.

Under the umbrella, holding Ike’s hand in the quiet tranquility of the ravine, it felt like the two of them were the only two people left in the world.

After a good walk through the winding streets of the nearby neighborhood, the pathway opened up, the mains roads visible once more. The plaza was just across the street. There were a dozen tiny shops lined up in neat rows, with neon signs looking especially bright under the grey skies.

Before Soren could begin looking for the nearest intersection, Ike let go of Soren’s hand and stepped onto the empty road with a grin.

“That’s jaywalking.” Soren deadpanned, trying to ignore how badly he missed Ike’s touch.

“It’s not like there are any cars around.” Ike shrugged, stopping in the middle of the road. “Come on, it’s fine.”

Soren let out a sigh but followed him, half convinced by his logic, and half worried a car might suddenly zoom past if Ike kept standing there for much longer. “You’re a bad influence on me, Ike Greil,” he grumbled as they safely reached the other side. Ike chuckled and gently bumped their shoulders as if in agreement. Soren looked away, hiding his burning face as he bumped him back.

After a couple seconds of tomfoolery, the two of them refocused their attention on the plaza. Soren neatly folded up his umbrella under the overhang as Ike observed the nearby restaurants with a pondering expression.

“Oh hey, a Dairy Queen,” Ike suddenly said, just as Soren packed up his umbrella. “Funny how I’ve never noticed it.”

“Knowing you, you were probably looking at the pizza place next door.” Soren snorted.

“Hey, I like the occasional ice cream as much as the next guy,” Ike said. “How about you? Are you an ice cream in cold weather kinda guy?”

“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never tried Dairy Queen before.” Soren said

“You’ve _never_ been to Dairy Queen before?” Ike said in surprise. “Ok, that settles it, we’re going to Dairy Queen.”

“What about food?”

“I can have ice cream for lunch,” Ike shrugged. “Actually, I probably deserve it for passing all my exams.”

“So I take it Spanish was a success?” Soren asked.

“Yeah, thanks for helping me organize my notes by the way.” Ike said, holding the door open for Soren.

“It’s what I’m here for,” Soren said with a contented smile, stepping into the ice cream store.

The tiny Dairy Queen was completely white apart from the minimal pink, purple and green decorations. The place was so narrow, there were only two tables indoor — both empty. The only other person there with them was a white-haired young woman at the counter. The moment she saw them, she broke into an oddly warm smile.

Soren looked way from the strange woman and set his backpack to the ground. It wasn’t necessary to claim a table, taking both the rain and the emptiness of the store into account, but he did so anyway out of habit.

He looked around the room, at the freezer in the back displaying what turned out to be ice cream cakes, and the display case near the front of the room, filled with buckets of ice cream — all with distinct flavours. The only ice cream Soren had ever had was of the grocery store variety. He mulled over the display case, hesitant to commit to an unknown flavour.

“Hmm, can I get a sample of the chunky cheesecake?” Ike asked after scanning the buckets.

“You can get samples?” Soren blurted out before he could stop himself.

Before Ike could respond, the woman behind the counter all but giggled as she handed Ike a tiny spoonful of ice cream, “First time here, I take it?” She said with mirth in her eyes.

“If that wasn’t obvious enough already,” Soren deadpanned.

“Well, all the samples are free, so feel free to take your time to choose.” The woman — Micaiah, according to her name tag — said with a friendly smile.

Soren nodded, slightly unnerved by the teasing lit to her voice. “I see, then I’ll try the same as him.”

The woman gladly handed him a sample of the ice cream. Soren stared at the tiny spoon for a moment before giving it a hesitant lick.

“So how is it?” Ike asked beside him, chuckling at Soren’s inexperience.

“...I don’t think I’m a fan of the cheesecake...or the chunks for that matter.” Soren muttered.

“Fair enough,” Ike said. “Why don’t you try the orange sorbet?”

And like that they spent a good while just standing in front of the display case, sampling the dozen ice cream flavours available. Ike stood beside him, seemingly content with watching Soren carefully taste each morsel, his on decision made well in advance. Meanwhile, Soren tasted sample after sample, but nothing was quite to his liking. He wasn’t a fan of the richness of chocolate bases, but the fruity flavours were too clearly artificial for his tastes. Just as he was about to give up and simply choose the least unpleasant vanilla, his eyes lit up as he tried the newest sample.

“Oh,” Soren said, licking the last of the mint chocolate chip ice cream off his lips. It was a pleasant surprise finding something that suited his tastes.

“Ok, we’ll have two scoops of the maple bacon, and one scoop of the mint chocolate chip,” Ike said, pulling out his wallet. Soren would have appreciated his consideration if it weren’t for one thing...

“What are you doing?” Soren frowned as Ike pulled out a 20 from his wallet.

“I’m paying for the ice cream.” Ike said plainly.

“I’ll pay for my own,” Soren said, pulling out his debit card.

“Nah, I’m supposed to pay you back for helping me pass my exams,” Ike said, “I’ll take this.”

Soren almost wanted to say that Ike had long since paid him back for that. But instead he simply stuffed his debit card into the woman’s hands before Ike had a chance to do the same. Ike looked at him, half exasperated and half amused. Soren pointedly ignored his gaze, looking at the shopkeeper, silently prompting her to accept his payment.

The silver-haired woman looked utterly amused as she handed them their change along with two cups of ice cream. After a quick thank you (courtesy of Ike) the two sat at the round table, pulling up two stools. Ike’s knees knocked against the bottom of the table, his legs a tad too long for the low height of the table.

“Do they have taller tables?” Soren frowned slightly, setting his ice cream down on the table.

“Nah, it’s fine. I’m used to it.” Ike shrugged, scooping up a mouthful of ice cream. “Besides, if the table was any taller you wouldn’t be able to reach it.”

Soren nudged his foot under the table in retort, but Ike remained unfazed as he ignored the light kick and took another bite out of his so-called lunch. Soren rolled his eyes with a smile and turned back to his ice cream.

“So how’re you enjoying your first Dairy Queen experience?” Ike asked in-between mouthfuls.

“It suits my tastes just fine.” Soren said simply,

“You like it that much, huh?” Ike raised an eyebrow, not fooled by Soren’s flippant attitude. “Then remind me to get you a mint chocolate ice cream cake for your birthday.”

“Save your money. Judging from the freezer display, those things are ridiculously overpriced.”

“Uhh, Soren, the shopkeeper’s standing right there.”

“Oh, don’t mind me,” The silver-haired woman interjected. “Just pretend I’m not here.”

“Besides,” Soren said, ignoring the shopkeeper like she had asked, “I won’t be in the city for my birthday next year anyhow.”

“So? I’ll just bus over there.” Ike said. “I hear it’s only a three hour bus ride, and your birthday’s in late fall, so if I’m careful, it won’t melt on the way there.”

Soren shook his head. “Ike, you’d be wasting 6 hours on the commute that way. I’m glad for your thoughts, but I’m not worth the hassle.”

“No, you are,” Ike said, suddenly serious as he looked Soren dead in the eye.

Soren felt his face burn under Ike’s gaze as he continued. “You’re so weird... How could you not be worth it? I’ve always depended on you, haven’t I? If anything it’s me who’s hassling you.”

“That would never happen.” Soren said without hesitation. “You could never inconvenience me, Ike.”

“Then it’s settled,” Ike nodded, polishing off his ice cream. “But we can save the details for later. Right now, I need some more ice cream.”

Soren watched Ike’s back as he moved back towards the display case, his face feeling a touch too warm. Soren decided that if Ike commented on it, he’d pass it off as a fever. Luckily, Ike didn’t seem to notice as he returned with another cup of ice cream in tow.

Soren raised an eyebrow as Ike approached. “I thought maple bacon was your favourite. Why the mint chocolate?”

Ike shrugged, “I wanted to try something else.”

“...is this another thinly veiled ploy to get me to eat more?”

“Not really.” Ike shrugged. “I don’t really have a preference for ice cream flavours so I usually order something different each time.”

Soren hummed noncommittally, not quite believing his explanation.

“Hey, it’s true!” Ike retorted. “...But if you want some, I’d be happy to share,” he said, pushing the ice cream slightly closer to Soren’s seat.

Soren rolled his eyes but leaned in to steal a bit of the top scoop, causing Ike to break out into a large grin.

They spent hours like that, just talking and sharing the occasional ice cream. The rain, the shopkeeper, and their intangible worries about the future all faded away as they spoke aimlessly, about anything and everything. It really felt like the two of them had entered their own isolated little world; the world Soren had always longed for. It wasn’t until Ike’s alarm rang that the two broke out of their reverie.

Ike scowled as he checked the time on his phone. “Blast, I thought we had longer than that...”

“Yes, well... You need to pack for your family vacation and I need to work on my summer internship applications.” Soren said, breaking the unspoken promise they held between them; the truth that dreams will always come to an end someday. “It’s enough that we finally had a chance to meet outside of our tutoring sessions.”

Ike frowned at that, but moved to pack up his belongings nonetheless. Soren, on the other hand, began to clear the table, lost in his thoughts. It was supposed to be a dream, simply indulging in his fantasies for a single day, but it had gone so well, it left Soren hungry for more.

He looked back at his crush, looking pensive as he stood there, waiting in the doorway. And suddenly Soren asked himself for the ten thousandth time that month whether he wanted to confess there and now — if he wanted to try, even though the timing was all wrong.

But something made him hold his tongue.

And that something’s name was fear.

Soren logically knew that first loves rarely amounted to anything. He knew his place in the so-called social hierarchy, knew how impossible it should be for the hottest guy their grade to like him back.

But just for today, he wanted to dream of it; fantasize that just maybe, had their circumstances been different, that dream might have come true.

As Soren shuffled towards the door, fumbling for his umbrella, to his surprise, the silver-haired lady by the counter spoke. “Thanks for stopping by! I hope the two of you had a great date!”

Soren froze in his tracks. He wanted to deny it. He wanted to say something, anything to play it off as a joke, but as he stood there like a deer in headlights, in one smooth motion, Ike took the umbrella from his hands and opened it between them.

“Thanks,” he said, before gently leading Soren out the door.

Outside, the previously pouring rain softened to a drizzle as Ike led the two of them to the closest bus stop. Cautiously, Soren checked Ike’s expression as he calmed his nerves. To his surprise, Ike was calm, relaxed even. It didn’t seem like the comment bothered him, but then again, Soren wasn’t sure whether he was serious or playing it off as a joke.

As Ike ducked out from under the umbrella, taking shelter in the transparent booth near the bus stop, he turned back to face Soren with a hint of a smile. “I guess I’ll see you around.” Ike said, in a surprisingly normal tone. “Or hey, in October when it’s your birthday. Whichever’s sooner.”

Soren relaxed after hearing Ike’s words. While a tiny part of him was disappointed that Ike decided to take it as a joke, logically it was the result he had hoped for so he had no right to complain. “I’ll hold you to it,“ he said with a smile, catching glimpse of the bus pulling over from the corner of his eye.

“We’ll figure it out through texts,” Ike said as the near-empty bus rolled to a stop. “That should be easy and convenient, right?”

Soren hummed, not breaking eye contact: wanting to watch him disappear into the distance, to engrave his receding figure into his memories, the memory of his first love.

But just as the doors swung open, Ike suddenly leaned in, pressing a soft kiss onto his forehead before disappearing onto the bus. Soren was left there, flustered and flabbergasted as the bus disappeared past the intersection, quickly turning into a dot in the distance.

Just then, his phone buzzed and Soren checked it, purely out of habit.

 **[Ike:]** and if I didn’t make it clear, I like you.

Soren stood there for a good minute before turning his feet towards the direction of home. His socks were soggy and his fingers cold and clammy, but he swore that had never felt happier.

Suddenly rainy days didn’t seem so bad after all.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Against my better judgement I decided to post this since it’s 2:40 am right now and I probably won’t sleep unless I post this even though I kinda hate the second half (because it doesn’t match the first part thematically) But it’s just cute enough for me to forgive at 3 am in the morning.
> 
> I’ll probably go back and edit this someday, flesh out more convo in DQ and fix the ending a bit. Note to self, Soren’s a tad too passive for my liking towards the end there but hmm I’ll have to mull over it after a good night’s sleep.
> 
> I find that my stronger fics are ones that have a clear progression to them and that show the dialogue and chemistry between Ike and Soren, so I decided to go back to that here. I hoped to capture the sweetness and nervous energy of a first date but since Ike and Soren already knew each other decently well in this one I’m not sure how successful I was.
> 
> Like I said, note to self, edit this later.
> 
> Based on the closest thing to a date I’ve ever had! I still find myself trying to recapture the magic but sigh nothing’s ever come close to that rainy day.


End file.
